January Transfer Speculation and Shit

[AFC Leveller]

Why is Wenger playing Ozil out of position? If you're trying to play someone into form, play him in his best position so he can get his confidence back and not screw up our whole system and formation. If not then leave him on the bench instead of trying to force him into the team.

Ozil doesn't help himself, he needs to get more involved. I don't mean that he should be ball chasing donkey, but he needs to get on the ball more and to play a more active role in breaking down teams. If he's not happy with the movement and runs his team mates are making he should let them know in training and work on it so he can find them in goalscoring positions more consistently. He's one of the best in the world at spotting and delivering the killer pass but clearly it's not happening at Arsenal so something needs to change. Wenger doesn't seem to know how to so the players need to add their input.

The worrying thing is that even though we've added pace to our front line with the signings of Alexis and Welbeck, we're still not getting in behind teams. Obviously that's hard to do when teams put everyone behind the ball, but Wenger hasn't come up with an answer to it. We're still playing the same slow, predictable and ineffective tippy-tappy football that hasn't worked against these buses in the past. We have the likes of Alexis and Ox that can beat players and open up space but we still huff and puff and struggle to create chances.

I agre with the last paragraph re playing in behind teams and i think the problem is two fold, one is that its diffuclt to to do so when teams like Chelsea sit back and stay disciplined and the other issue is that our system never changes no matter who we play.

Against Galatasary we scored a couple of goals by going behind them but they were shit and gave us the kind of space that not many PL teams will and thats when the manager needs to come with something clever and open up teams.

[Niall_Quinn]

Could you explain the attack and possession stats, and the large difference in your example?

I'd surmise it's a classic demonstration of how he's wasted playing wide. Silva can go left or right from his position, Ozil is often penned wide playing short or triangles with the full back and/ or central player who has come to support. Classic Wenger. The gypos know how to utilise Silva. We don't seem to have a clue how to do the same with Ozil (and now Welbeck too).

[Niall_Quinn]

I agre with the last paragraph re playing in behind teams and i think the problem is two fold, one is that its diffuclt to to do so when teams like Chelsea sit back and stay disciplined and the other issue is that our system never changes no matter who we play.

That's why you have to have supporting forwards making the runs that will drag the defence out of shape. And in Alexis, Ox, now Welbeck and hopefully soon Walcott we have those players. But they are all engaged in a tight passing game that plods left, then plods right, then plods left again. It's child's play for a decent defence to shut that down.

EDIT: watch some highlights of Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Overmars all the way back to Anelka (especially Anelka). When we'd break out we'd do it as pace as a unit, 3 or 4 forward players storming up the pitch with the opposition defence going left, right, falling over their own feet. 15-20 seconds from back to front and into the net. This was when defenders could still kick you up in the air with little fear of being carded. We never dreamed of holding it up and playing it backwards like we do today. We never gave the opposition a chance to press, it was all over before they knew what was happening. Remember when we used to love the opposition getting a corner, because we knew we'd be up the other end in seconds?

[Power n Glory]

You mean better than "Internet Warrior?" I'll try.

Walcott was being a greedy bastard and I said as much. Sanogo - come on, seriously? I didn't say I'd be leaping for joy if we ditched the team and hired the lads from a local pub. Monreal, maybe you have a point. It's more Wenger's fault he can't see how susceptible the player is to a pacey attacker.

It was more than the contract. You were saying he was no good as a footballer, but whatever. Just a bit rich of you to now try and pull on the number 1 fan T-shirt and preach to me about criticism.

[Niall_Quinn]

It was more than the contract. You were saying he was no good as a footballer, but whatever. Just a bit rich of you to now try and pull on the number 1 fan T-shirt and preach to me about criticism.

Didn't pull the #1 fan, just pulled the fan who doesn't have to kill everything about the club all the time thing. I don't think Ozil has hit the heights he did in Madrid - no way. But this constant crap he's getting is ludicrous and it's driven by the media and some of our fans have fallen for it hook, line, sinker. The media will go as far as to single him out for criticism after Germany whack Brazil 7-1 FFS. If that's not an agenda then what is? I'm not buying it. I'm not saying he's been better than Fabregas or Silva. He hasn't, or at least he hasn't had a bigger impact on the results. But he's nowhere near being the failed player some are making out.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

[Niall_Quinn]

It was more than the contract. You were saying he was no good as a footballer, but whatever. Just a bit rich of you to now try and pull on the number 1 fan T-shirt and preach to me about criticism.

Yes, I was saying he was a maddeningly inconsistent player - and he was. Then he had a good season and I said he had a good season. But I was basing it on his performances, not what the media said. IN fact now it's quite exciting to think about how he will be integrated into a team containing Ozil, Alexis, Welbeck and an ever improving Ox. Exciting to "think" about it because Wenger will find a way to make it all pointless anyway. As he's doing with players like Ozil.

[Niall_Quinn]

No, I'm not going to get involved in one of those PnG 64 page ordeals, so move along.

[Power n Glory]

Why is Wenger playing Ozil out of position? If you're trying to play someone into form, play him in his best position so he can get his confidence back and not screw up our whole system and formation. If not then leave him on the bench instead of trying to force him into the team.

Ozil doesn't help himself, he needs to get more involved. I don't mean that he should be ball chasing donkey, but he needs to get on the ball more and to play a more active role in breaking down teams. If he's not happy with the movement and runs his team mates are making he should let them know in training and work on it so he can find them in goalscoring positions more consistently. He's one of the best in the world at spotting and delivering the killer pass but clearly it's not happening at Arsenal so something needs to change. Wenger doesn't seem to know how to so the players need to add their input.

The worrying thing is that even though we've added pace to our front line with the signings of Alexis and Welbeck, we're still not getting in behind teams. Obviously that's hard to do when teams put everyone behind the ball, but Wenger hasn't come up with an answer to it. We're still playing the same slow, predictable and ineffective tippy-tappy football that hasn't worked against these buses in the past. We have the likes of Alexis and Ox that can beat players and open up space but we still huff and puff and struggle to create chances.

It really is a worry that we're still not breaking teams down. I thought at least with Sanchez and Welbeck added into the team we'd start stretching teams a little more but it's just not happening.

You're right about Ozil as well. There is no point in playing him wide so he can drift in field. It just makes things more congested. We had the same sort of problem years ago when we played without wingers. The Nasri and Arshavin years, Hleb and Rosicky days....after so many attempts, I don't know why Wenger keeps trying this when it hasn't once been successful over a season.

[Power n Glory]

I agre with the last paragraph re playing in behind teams and i think the problem is two fold, one is that its diffuclt to to do so when teams like Chelsea sit back and stay disciplined and the other issue is that our system never changes no matter who we play.

Against Galatasary we scored a couple of goals by going behind them but they were shit and gave us the kind of space that not many PL teams will and thats when the manager needs to come with something clever and open up teams.

Galatasaray were playing 3 at the back and they were very disorganised. You're right, we're unlikely to see such generosity in the Prem.